7 Tips for Living Longer

1) KEEP MOVING: An active lifestyle can add up to four years to your life and cut your risk of stroke and heart attack by 20%.

Too Much of a Good Thing

The wiry, emaciated frames of extreme distance runners are no accident. A study of ultra-marathoners found that muscle cell autophagy-a process by which cells self-destruct-increased by 49% after a 200K race. Say it with us: All things in moderation.

Men's Fitness
May 1, 2012

David Goggins and Akos Konya

In many ways, David Goggins and Akos Konya are polar opposites.

At 6 feet 1, 192 pounds, the sculpted Goggins resembles an NFL safety. Konya goes 5-8, 130.

Goggins was raised in America's heartland, outside Indianapolis. He lives in Chula Vista. Konya grew up in Hungary. He lives in Oceanside.

Goggins is black; Konya is white.

Walking Anyone?

Five reasons to add walking to your running routine

Runners tend, for the most part, to share this view on walking: It is fine when conducted at church, the grocery store or after surgical procedures. Otherwise - nah.

Well, Runner's World editor Amby Burfoot has run about 100,000 miles in the last 35 years. He now uses walking as part of his training (heretofore referred to as R/W, as in run/walk). Here's why you should, too.

These are from the runners world.com newsletter:

Six Signs your Workout is Too Tough

When you've got a major goal in sight, it's easy to push yourself too far, too fast, or too long. It doesn't help that shows such as "The Biggest Loser" depict contestants exercising to exhaustion for hours a day. No pain, no gain, right?

The Joy of Soy?

IF YOU want to learn how to live longer, look at the people of Okinawa, a string of islands in south-western Japan. Raised on a diet of fish and soyabeans, their life expectancy is among the highest on Earth. There is a natural control group; many Okinawans fled to Brazil and Hawaii after the second world war, where they switched to a meatier diet of steaks and burgers. All have been studied regularly by Japanese researchers over the past three decades to prove that a soya-rich diet can prolong life. Now it is time for the taste test: can a healthy bag of soya nibbles sweep the fatty potato snack off the table?

Are you a Fruitarian?

The Western States 100: What are Your Limits?

Ultrarunning: Can you Deal with the Pain?

Foam Rollers Can be a Godsend

Using a foam roller is a great way to get your muscles prepped for your new sporting season. Foam rollers are denser then pool noodles, six inches in diameter, one to three-feet long. Professional leagues such as the NHL incorporate foam rollers into workouts every day.

Body and Spirit

Early one Sunday last November in New York, I was among several hundred people crowded into a large tent for prayers, singing, Scripture-reading and Holy Communion. We were a diverse group -- in age, race and denomination -- full of enthusiasm and nervous energy. But unlike your average Sunday morning churchgoers, we were all in running clothes. The preacher encouraged us to pray for everyone we passed on the course that morning and to pray for everyone who passed us. Then we went out and ran 26.2 miles.

The Runners and Injury Longitudinal Study: Update

TRAILS: Meet Dr. Stephen Messier

We posted recently about our visit to Wake Forest University for participation in the TRAILS study.

Running Shorts interviewed Messier (above), professor and director of Wake's J.B Snow Biomechanics Laboratory, this week by phone. More from that in just a minute.

First, the background on TRAILS:

The Runners and Injury Longitudinal Study (TRAILS): Part II

People who run strike the ground with a force of as much as 15 times their body weight.

So it's no surprise that the body, particularly joints, don't always react kindly.

Knees wear down, shin splints develop, tissues in the heel inflame.

The Runners and Injury Longitudinal Study (TRAILS): Part I

Up to 65 percent of runners sustain an overuse injury each year. Wake Forest researchers, funded by a $600,000 grant from the U. S. Army, plan to find out why.

The two-year study, called The Runners and Injury Longitudinal Study or TRAILS, will determine the differences between runners who sustain an overuse injury and those who remain injury free.

IT Band Heaven

OMG.

If their is a divine being, He certainly had something to do with this invention. Worst running injury I've ever had in 30 years of running. My IT band has been so sore, I can't remember the last time I could walk, much less run, pain free. Five minutes of this exercise, and it was like I had a pair of new legs. Ahhhhhhh. I can't wait for tomorrow morning to see how the run goes.

Bookshelf: Helping Injured Runners Get Healthy

"Running Doc's Guide to Healthy Running: How to Fix Injuries, Stay Active, and Run Pain-Free" by Dr. Lewis G. Maharan

Velo Press

Written by the former medical director of a running club and the New York City Marathon, this is a comprehensive, illustrated guide to running injuries and how to prevent them. Also covered is how to prepare for running events of all types and distances. Stretches, exercises, tips

for racing in various weather conditions, and treating aches and pains are covered. 

More books to keep you on track

The Other Bill Rodgers

April 2012

Bill Rodgers has run the Cherry Creek Sneak every year since its inception in 1982, and he will be running it again Sunday to celebrate its 30th anniversary. But before we get to what keeps him coming back, we had better make it clear he's not the guy who won the Boston Marathon four times and the New York City Marathon four times.

Badwater Craziness

In 1989, Tom Crawford and Richard Benyo completed the first double crossing (which became known as the "Death Valley 300"), running from Badwater to Mount Whitney's summit and back to Badwater again.

What a Really Good Run Sounds Like

Amby Burfoot Weighs in on the Ultra Scene

87-Year-Old Still Running Marathons

1997

The first time Abraham Weintraub tried to enter the New York City Marathon, he was not thinking about how fast he could cover the 26 miles and 385 yards. All he wanted to do was push his wife, Ruth, in her wheelchair.

Our Old Friend the IT-Band

Most people wouldn't know what the iliotibial band is until they injured it. But once they do, the pain can stop avid runners and other athletes in their tracks.

Your IT bands, as they are commonly called, start at the hips, run along the outside of the thighs and attach on the outside of the knees.

Hardrock 100

Interview with Lisa Tamati

Treadmill versus Elliptical

I'm confused about the elliptical machine and the treadmill at my gym. Which machine would give the best and fastest results for losing pounds and losing inches from my hips and thighs?

I sweat a lot more using the elliptical and burn more calories. But someone told me that using the treadmill will actually firm up the body more than the elliptical. On the elliptical, I set the resistance at number 7. On the treadmill, I run at 4.5-4.7 mph. I exercise about five times a week and want to be as productive as possible.

While treadmills and elliptical trainers are two of the most popular pieces of cardio equipment out there, each has its own perks and pitfalls. For an expert's point of view, we asked Faith Kromer, fitness director at Quest Fitness in Ellicott City, to weigh in on the subject.